DVD Review: The Exorcism of Emily Rose

By Patrick Luce Dec 18, 2005, 23:43 GMT

The film, which stars Laura Linney and Tom Wilkinson, is based on a true story and follows the events that happened after a teenage girl died following a failed exorcism by a local priest. The movie was co-written and directed by Scott Derrickson.

The story is based on the story of Anneliese Michel who believed she was possessed by demons and died in 1976. Following her death, two priests were put on trial and convicted on charges of negligent manslaughter.

In the film, Linney portrays a defense attorney who agrees to represent Father Moore (Wilkinson) after he has been charged in the death of Rose (played by Jennifer Carpenter). As she digs into the story, Linney begins to find her own agnostic beliefs questioned thanks to the mysterious circumstances happening during the trial.

Most of the story takes place in the courtroom with the Rose story of possession and exorcism told through a series of flashbacks. The film combines the two genres (horror and drama) nicely and never lets one take over the other. This keeps the movie’s pace moving during some of the slower moments, and will keep horror fans from feeling letdown by the movie’s lack of any really scary moments.

Carpenter does an excellent job in the role of Rose, and really helps you get attached to her character and the amount of torment she endures throughout the film. Although the actress doesn’t have a huge part in the movie and doesn’t have that much dialogue, she manages to capture the audience through her facial expressions and bone chilling screams.

Linney and Wilkinson shine in the movie, and are great in their roles. Both actors have proven their talent in past films, and rise to the challenge presented in telling this story through several flashbacks.

Carpenter will send chills up your spine as Emily Rose

Wilkinson does an excellent job of creating a character who believes he did no wrong, and his blind faith adds to the question of if what you are seeing is true. He also does a good job of being the opposite of his doubting lawyer and Christian zealot prosecutor.

Linney also delivers a solid performance in her role as an agnostic and doubter. She helps add some credibility to the film’s question of belief, and is easy to identify with since she struggles with the same questions that the film is raising.

The film also has a brilliant performance from Campbell Scott – who played the Methodist prosecutor. His portrayal of the prosecuting attorney raises the differences of sects in Christianity, and whether a Christian can doubt the question of demon possession and exorcism.

Scott also provides a great “bad guy” for the film even though he is only trying to convict who he truly believes is guilty for Rose’s death. There are several scenes where you truly hate the actor and his own one-sided beliefs.
 
Although the film blends the two different genres together nicely, it has several problems that do hurt the overall enjoyment of the movie. In the end, you can accept some of the plot holes or some of the twist, but they do distract from time to time or hurt the film’s pace.

These problems include Linney’s own experiences with the “demon” that possessed Rose, and the way she is constantly woke at 3 a.m. These different plot elements are explained by Wilkinson, but make the film feel a bit cheesy at different times.

Another problem in the film is how they explain why there was never a second exorcism and the reason for Rose’s death. While this plot twist doesn’t ruin the movie, it might leave some audience scratching their heads or possibly laughing – especially those who do no believe Rose was possessed. Since the film is based on a true story, I don’t know how they could have explained this part of the movie better, but it does seem odd.

Linney and Wilkinson deliver solid performances in their roles

Also, the film’s blending of horror and courtroom drama may leave fans disappointed in the story. The movie is NOT a modern day Exorcist, and doesn’t try to match the amount of scares and tensions that were established in that film. This doesn’t mean the movie isn’t worth watching but should be noted for fans expecting to see something closer to the classic horror film.<!--page-->

The DVD comes loaded with special features that fans of the story will enjoy. They include a deleted scene; “The Genesis of the Story” – a look at the making of the film and what it took to bring it to the screen; a visual design featurette; and a look at how the film was cast. The special features are decent, but there could have been more on the topic or even the actual story that inspired the movie.

Scott is great as a determined prosecutor

While it isn’t the best exorcism movie ever made, The Exorcism of Emily Rose does manage to deliver a chilling story that will hold your attention throughout the entire film. It has brilliant performances from a great cast, and a story that might just leave you with more questions than answers.

Horror fans may find the movie a little light for their taste, but it is worth checking out. I would highly recommend the movie to anyone wanting to watch a drama spiced with a little horror, and that requires some thought.

The Exorcism of Emily Rose is available for pre-order at Amazon for a Dec. 20th release. As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.